Printing and addressing machine



June 5. 1928.

G. M. SOULE PRINTING AND ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l inventor flrmmw W @M/ IEMQ2 M T M 1;.ir -x- \\E W N a wr r a QM 0M 9 h '2 1 f 4.2 H L 1 AZ t N. N. W 0 F g F x F i m v m 5 v Q v \M 00 l 44 D 9% Ls 3 June 5, 1928. 7 1,672,545

G. M. SOULE PRINTING AND ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1926 s Sheets-Sheet 2 glwuwntoz X7 77* MM W E A aw June 5, 192s. 1,672,545

G. M. SOULE PRINTING AND ADDRESSING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gwuento o 71m WM #74 Patented June 5, 1928.

Units!) STATES- GEORGE M. SOULE, OF CLE PATENT OFFICE.

COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PRINTING AND ADDRESSING MACHINE.

Application filed December 29,1926. Serial No. 157,706.

This invention relates to printing mecha nism particularly to a machine for printing and addressing letters and addressing envelopes. An object is to provide a simple and easily operated machine for this purpose.

A further object is to provide a printing machine adapted to carry a letter form and a removable address form, in which the body of a letter and the address as well as the corresponding envelope (with the address only) may be printed from the same impression platen.

A more specific object is to provide a machine capable of receiving and printing changeable address forms with a convenient means for enabling the insertion of such forms beneath an inking ribbon.

In carrying out the invention in connection with a Multigraph or similar machine wherein a segmental support is providedfor the page or letter form, I propose to mount the address form support on such drum adjacent the letter form and to provide-means such as cams operable by the rotation of the drum past the frame for moving the address form support radially whereby to offset the addressform type from the page form type. By this means and by using a single movable impression platen, an'envelope may be printed from the address form only on one rotation, and a complete letter from the address form together with the letter form on another rotation. Further, by providing two platens positioned at different distances from the drum axis the address form may be printed separately from the letter form and together with'it on the same rotation of the drum.

Suitable arrangements for carrying out the above objects are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which will be hereinafter more fully described. The essential characteristics are summarized in the claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal sectional view of a machine embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View as indicated by the line 22'on 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly broken away; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail as indicated by the line 44 on Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of a suitable address form or plate; and Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic cross sectional view "similar to Fig. 2 of a modified form of machine.

' Referring in detail to the drawings and first to Figs. 1 to 5, 1 designates a left hand frame member and 2 a' right hand frame 7 member, these members being adapted to be rigidly supported on a common bed plate (not shown). Suitably journalled in the frame members is a shaft 3 for the printing drum which is shown as "comprising end plates 5 and 6 and a semi-circular connecting portion 7 forming the printing form supporting bed. This bed is usually adapted for easy removal but is herein shown as in-- tegral with the end plates for convenience of illustration. A crank 8 is shown at the right hand end of the shaft 3 for rotating the drum by hand.

Located below the drum and supported by an eccentric shaft 10 is an impression platen 11, the platen being driven by a gear 13 on the drum frame meshing with a gear 14 which is connected by an Oldham coupling to the right hand end of the platen. The enlarged central portion of the shaft 10 directly supports the platen and the reduced end portions 16 and 1.7 are journalled in the frame members 1 and 2. The arrangement is such that by turning the shaft to the right from the position shown in Fig. .3 the platen will be raised toward the drum.

Means for raising and lowering the platen on alternate rotations of the drum consists asshown of a cam 15 driven from a two-toone gearing 16--17, the gear 17 being rigid on the shaft 3, and mechanism comprising a lever 19 pivoted to the frame plate 2 at 20, an arm 22 pinned to the shaft 10 and a link 21 connecting the lever to the arm. The lever 19 carries a roller 24 retained in contact with the cam by a spring 25. The cam has. diametrically opposite high and low concentric portions 15 and 15 andit follows that s nce the cam makes one revolution to two revolutions of the drum the platen will be raised during one rotation of the drum and lowered during the next.

The type form for printing the letter, is shown in Fig. 2 and may consist of a flexiblc sheet metal blanket carrying lines of type set up to print the body of the letter, not including the name of the addressee or the address. Such a blanket is shown in the patent to Clifton Chisholm No. 1,451,204 to which reference is directed. ()ne end of the blanket may be hooked over a rail 28 rigid with the drum and the other end similarly secured to a rail 29 forming part of a piv-' oted frame. The frame includes arms '30 fitting over the shaft 3 as at 31, and the blanket may be drawn down tightly against the drum by means of screws 82 threaded through the member 29 and bearing against one edge of the portion 7 of the drum.

The address form or plate may consist of a sheet metal member (Fig. 5) having a central raised body portion 35 and down turned side edges 36 curled over at 37 for additional strength. The type consists of embossed channel shaped strips 39 embracing upstruck lips, arranged in parallel lines lengthwiseof the body of the plate. This form of plate is more fully disclosed in the application of Henry C. Osborn, Serial No. 106,792 filed May 5, 1926.

For supporting the address plate in such manner that its printing surfaces may be at one time flush with the page form and at another time offset from the page form I provide a radially movable bed 40, shown in Figs. 1 and 2 as consisting of two major parts or sections 42 and 43. the former directly supporting the plate and being slidable lengthwise of the section 43, the latter being movable radially of the drum, in a recess in the member 7. Suitable tension springs 44 serve to pull the plate bed in wardly toward the drum axis.

For radially moving and supporting the plate bed I have shown a pair of multiple faced cams 45 rigid with a cam shaft 46 pro j ecting from the right hand end of the drum and carrying a star wheel 47 at its thus projecting end. The wheel has arms 48, 49 and 50,, the arms 48 and 49 being positioned to engage a pin 51 on the frame when the drum is rotated, the longer arm being adapted to engage a different pin indicated at 52. This arrangement causes the plate bed to assume three positions.

Assuming that the machine has been operated to print and address a letter fed between the drum and platen by intermittently operating paper fed rolls such as 60 and 61, operated as on the usual Multigraph in timed relation to the rotation of the drum, the next operation will be to address the envelope. The plate bed is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in the position in which it cooperated with, the letter form, the paper receiving the impression through the usual'inking fabric 55 overlying both forms and supported on its ends by rolls 56 and 57. The position of the cam 45 when the plate bed is in the position shown in Fig. 2 is as indicated in Figs. 3 and 4 with the plate bed portion 43 resting on the cam faces A. While printing and addressing the letter the cam follower roller 24 contacted with the portion 15 of the cam 15.

As the drum again rotated the ar-1n48 on the cam contacts with the pin 51 on the frame, thus carrying the cam faces B into contact with the plate bed and moving the addressing type forwardly beyond the form type. The cam 15 is now moved to substantially the position shown in Fig. namely with the cam follower on the low portion of the cam 15 so that the platen is lowered to contact with the forwardlymoved address plate exclusive of the type form. This properly addresses the envelope as it is fed between the drum and platen in the same direction that the paper is fed.

The letter and envelope having been printed, the drum is further rotated 'to the position shown in Fig. 2, the pin 52 during such further rotation engaging the long arm 50' of the star wheel and turning the cam faces C upwardly, thus lowering the plate bed so that the address plate is out of con tact with the ribbon. The address plate may then be easily removed without brushing against the ribbon and another plate in s erted clear of the same. This clearance of the ribbon is due to the fact that the ribbon stretches substantially straight across from one side of the plate bed recess to the other above the plate when the plate is in its inmost position. After a new plate is inserted the initial rotation of the drum causes the arm 49 of the star wheel to contact with the pin 51 thus turning the cam face A upwardly, beginning a new cycle of operation.

As previously mentioned the plate bed section 42 is slidalole relative to the section 43. As shown in Fig. 1 the former section is drawn in a direction parallel to the drum axis by a spring 60 against a bifurcated stop slide 61 shown as urged upwardly by aspring 62. The stop slide is arranged to be drawn downwardly by a cam 63 on the shaft 46 at the time when the shaft is turned to force the plate bed to its outermost position for addressing envelopes. The witlr drawing of the slide at such time releases the section42 which is then drawn to a position more centrally of the drum against an abutment 64, whereby the envelope will be addressed centrally thereof while being fed to the drum in substantially the same position as the corresponding sheet is norma y f d- Means for withdrawing the plate'slide'42 after both the letter and envelope are printed may comprise a slide bar '66 drawn inwardly by a spring 67 and having a shoulder 68 on its right hand end for engaging the plate slide 42. The bar 66 has a lug 69 at its left hand end adapted to be engaged by the I operators hand, and may if desired have a suitable catch or dog (not shownlto hold it in its withdrawn position against the action of the springs 60 and 67 while the used plate isbeing removed and a new plate inserted in place thereof.

In theoperation of this form of the machine attention is called to the fact that no provision is made to eliminate the salutation, usually placed on the address plate, in the case of addressingthe envelope. This is because the machine is designed for use with club lists, manufacturers and the like where a uniform salutation will answer. Such uniform salutationmay be placed on the letter form.

In the form of machine shown in Fig; 6 the address plate bed 75 isarranged to be moved toits two printing positions by cams 70 and 71 adapted to be made rigid with the side frame members such as 1 and 2 (Fig.

1). Such cams coact with rollers 73 carried by the plate bed 75 the latter being shown as constantly drawn inwardly toward thedrum axis, by springs 76. Two platens are shown one, 77 belng for printing and addressing the letter as before, the other, .78, being sole- 1y for addressing the envelope. The platen '78 is segmental and may be adjustably mounted on its shaft 79 in order to cut out the Salutation line on the address plate. A holder for an envelope is shown at 80 into which an envelope may be inserted at the same time that a new address plate is being inserted on the plate bed. The platen 79 may rotate continuously since it will not impress the envelope against the letter form by reason of the constant separation of the letter form and the platen. v

In operation the drum is rotated and the cam 70 carries the address plate outwardly flush with the letter form while the letter is being printed from the platen 77. Upon further rotation of the drum the cam 71 carries the address plate outwardly beyond. the letter form and impresses the envelope against the impression surface of the platen 78 thus addressing the envelope and simultaneously ejecting it upwardly out of the holder 80. The drum is then rotated to the position shown, in which position the plate bed is drawn inwardly by the spring76 to facilitate the removal of the'used plate and the insertion of a new one.

I claim:

1. Printing mechanism comprising a letter form, an address form, a common movable support for both forms, means for ofi'- setting one form relative to the other in a in combination a printing member adapted to support a letter form, an address form holder movably mounted in the printing member, saidmovement being normal to the printing surface-to carry the address form 2. In a iachine of the character described,

to two definite printing positions, and means for taking an impression from the addressform in both of its said positions.

' 3. In a printing machine, a rotary printing member, cooperating impression means,

aletter form and an address form carried. 7

by said printing member, and means for moving the address form radially relative to the letter form to bring it into a new printing position, and means for taking an im- 4. In a machine of the characterdescribed,

in combinationfa rotaryprinting member adapted to support aletter form, an address form holder mo vably mounted in the printing member, the movement being to ward and'away from the axis of the printing member, and a single cooperable impression means for printing from both forms when the address form is moved toward said axis and from the address form only, when the .latterform is moved away from said axis.

5. In a printingmachine, a rotary printing member adapted to support two type forms, one being adapted to be removed at eachoperation ot the machine, a movable support for one form,means for moving "said support toward and away from the axis of the printing member consequent upon the printing member being rotated, and impression means cooperating at one time with both forms andat a dilferent time with the removable form only, I p

6. Printing mechanism comprising rotary printing couple members relatively movable toward and away from eachother, two relatively radially movable type forms carried by one member, and means for moving one type of form radially and correspondingly moving the opposite member of the couple. whereby one form may print separately from the other. i

7. Printing mechanism comprising rotary printing couple members relatively movable toward and away from each other, one member carrying two relatively radially movable type forms, means for controlling the relative movement of the oouple'for causing one member to approach the other and contact with both forms on one rotation of the form carrying member and to separate on the next rotation an amount corresponding to the relative radial movement otthe form and means to cause said radial movement whereby only one form may print.

8. Printing mechanism comprising rotary means for carrying two relatively movable type forms, a common cooperating impression means, means for moving one of said means toward and away from the other, and means for controlling such movement in timed relation to the relative movement ot the forms to cause one form to print separately from the other.

9. Printing mechanism for printing and addressing letters and. addressing envelopes compris ng a rotary member carrying a fixed letter form and a radially movable address form, impression means and means for con trolling said radial movement whereby the address torm cooperates with the fined form in printing the letter and operates separately in addressing the envelope.

10. Printing mechanism for printing and addressing letters and addressing envelopes comprising a support for a letter form, a relatively movable support for an address form and an impression platen movable to two active positions and cooper-able with both forms at one time and with the address torm only at another time.

11. In a printing machine, a rotary printing. :torm holder, two forms carried thereby, one being radially movable with. reference to the other, a platen movable to two active positions whereby to impress the radially movable form only when in one position, means controlled by the rotation of the holder for moving the form, and means to at such time cause the corresponding movement of the platen.

12. In a printing machine a rotary printing member adapted to support a page term and an auxiliary form, a radially movable mounting carried by the printing member for supporting the auxiliary form, cooperating impression means, and means controlled by the position of the printing member relative to the impression means for moving the support inwardly toward the axis otthe printing member and then outwardly whereby one paper may be printed from both forms and another paper from one form only.

13. In a printing machine a printing drum carrying a letter form, a cooperating impression platen, a movable mounting for the platen, a removable address form and a support therefor movably mounted on the drum, means controlled by the position of the drum relative to the platen for moving said support to cause both forms to coact with the platen on one rotation of the drum, means conrolled by the rotation of the drum for moving the platen away from the drum on the neat succeeding rotation, said sup port moving means acting at this time to move the address form beyond the page form whereby the address form only may print from the same platen during said succeeding rotation.

14. In a printing machine, a rotary printing drum adapted to support a letter form and an address form, an impresion, platen cooperating therewith, an eccentric support for the impression platen, means controlled by the rotation of the drum to turn the eccentric and move the platen toward and away from the printing drum into two i1npressing positions, a movable support for the address torm carried by the drum and means controlled by the rotation of the printing drum for moving the support to place the address form flush with the letter form on one rotation of the drum and to place-the address form beyond the letter form onanother rotation.

15. In a printing machine a rotary printing member adapted to support a letter form and an address form, a movable support carried bythe printing member tor the address form, said support being movable toward and away from the axis of the printing member, an inking fabric carried by the printing member and overlying both the address form and letter form and an impression platen arranged to print paper from both the address form and letter form and from the address form only.

16. In a printing machine, a rotary printing member, a page form, and an address form carried by the printing member, a radially movable support for the address form, an inking ribbon overlying both forms, means for moving the address form support inwardly whereby the address form may be out of contact with the ribbon and for moving the support outwardly to two definite positions, and meanstor taking an impression from both forms when the address form is in. one of said two positions and from the address form only when in the other position.

17. In a printing machine a rotary printing member, a letter form carried thereby, a radially movable support carried by the printing member adjacent the letter form. and adapted to support an address plate, a printing fabric overlying the address plate and letter form, rotatable impression means, and means for moving the support radially to three positions whereby an impression may be taken from the letter form and address plate, then from the address plate only and whereby the address plate may be in serted beneath the inking fabric and removed therefrom clear of such inking fabric.

18. In a printing machine a printing form holder, two forms carried thereby one being positioned adjacent the other and movable relative thereto in a direction normai to the printing surface, impression means cooperable with both forms on one complete printing operation of the machine, means for causing said relative movement to oilset 1 one printing form from the other, and means for causing a corresponding movement of the impression means consequent upon the next operation of the machine whereby only the ofiset form may print during this opera tion.

19. In combination, a frame, a printing couple carried thereby, a movable support for one member of the couple whereby the members thereof may be moved toward and away from each other, a'letter form and a radially movable support for an address form carried by one member of the couple, means carried by the frame for causing such radial movement for projecting the address plate beyond the printing surface of the letter form, and means to at such time act on the said support to separate the said members whereby the address plate only may be caused to print.

20. Printing mechanism comprising a printing member, a letter form and a movable support for an address form carried thereby, cooperating impression means, and means for offsetting the address form rela tive to the letter form in two directions at 1 right angles to each other whereby to print letters from both forms and corresponding envelopes from the address form only.

21. In a printing machine, a printing member, a fixed type form carried thereby,

an address plate mounted adjacent the type form and movable in a direction parallel to the lines of type to two definite positions neither of which is beyond the type form, and means for taking an impression from both the form and plate when the plate is in one position and from the plate separate- ]y when in the other.

22. In a printing machine, a rotary rinting member, a letter form and an a dress I form carried thereby, means to move the address form to two positions adjacent to and in alignment with the letter form, and an impression platen arranged to impress the letter form and address form when the latter is in one of its positions and to impress only the address form when the address form is in its other position.

23. In a printing machine a rotary letter form supporting member, a longitudinally movable carriage carried by said member and adapted to support an address plate, an impression platen, means to cause the platen to impress the letter form and address form on one rotation of the said member, means to cause it to impress the address form only on the next rotation and means for longitudinally moving the carriage before said last mentioned impression takes place.

24:. In a printing machine, rotatable means to support a letter form and an ad- .dress form, acarriage for the address form movable radially of the supporting means and longitudinally of the axis thereof, 1m-

pression means cooperable with both the I support an address form, means to move one i of the forms radially of said member, an impression platen and means to cause a corresponding movement of the impression platen whereby only one form may print when the platen is so moved, and releasing means controlled by the rotation of said member whereby the carriage may move the address plate to a different position relative to the letter form. A

26. Printing mechanism for printing and addressing letters and addressing envelopes ill) comprising a rotary carrier for a letter form 1 and an address form, a common impression platen for both dorms, a carriage for the address form movable relative to the page form in two directions, radially and parallel to the carrier axis, means controlled by the rotation of the carrier for moving the platen away from the carrier, means controlled by the rotation of the carrier for causing such radial movement of the address form, and for also causing such other movement of the address form whereby an envelope may be addressed centrally thereof on a given rotation of the machine.

27. In a printing machine, the combination of a comparatively fixed form, a changeable form, a platen, and mechanism whereby the platen coacts with both forms on one cycle of operation of the machine and with the changeable form alone on anothercycle of operation.

28. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary drum, a comparatively fixed body form thereon, a changeable address form thereon, a platen and mechanism whereby the same region of the platen coacts with both forms on one rotation and with the address form alone on another rotation.

29.In a printing machine, the combination of a comparatively fixed form, a changeloo able form, a platen adapted to coact with ation and to coact to print With only one of said forms on the intermediate cycle.

30. In a printing machine, the combination of a rotary drum, a comparatively fixed 5 form thereon, a changeable form thereon, a

platen adapted to coact with both forms, mechanism controlled by the rotation of the drum for causing the same platen to coa-ct to print With both forms on every other rotation of the drum and to coa'ct to print with 10 the changeable form only on the intermediate rotations. y

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aflix my signature.

GEORGE M, SOULE. 

